The other Lionel
From disarray to delight, Argentina’s journey owes a lot to Scaloni and his staff
It was a night for tears. Lionel Messi wept on the pitch, Lionel Scaloni off it. From mildly reproving Pablo Aimar for getting emotional in Qatar to not holding back after the final and in Kansas City, Scaloni is now at ease with being vulnerable in public. “Sometimes football takes over and reminds you that you are also just a human being,” he said after the 3-0 win against Algeria.
“I was just proud, emotional and deeply grateful to be witnessing something like that so close,” said Scaloni explaining the tears after Messi’s first World Cup hattrick.
Grateful to Messi
It was the first match Argentina won as defending champions in a World Cup. In 1982 they lost to Belgium and eight years later, to Cameroon. And that is one proof of what Scaloni and his staff have forged over the years.
Of course, there is a lot to be grateful to Messi (and Algeria goalie Luca Zidane) for the ease with which Argentina negotiated the match against a side who are 28th in the FIFA rankings. Arsene Wenger said it was time the planet stopped comparing Messi to other greats. Miroslav Klose is amazed that Messi, 39 next week, is still influencing games and Diego Simeone was gobsmacked that Argentina’s youngest and oldest goalscorer in a World Cup is one person.
Carli Lloyd said on X that this version of Messi can be even more dangerous because he is playing without the burden of expectations. A two-time World Cup and Olympics champion with the USA women’s team, Lloyd has asked the planet to “enjoy every moment while we still can.”
For that to happen, the World Cup will need the other Lionel to keep doing what he has been since taking charge in 2018, first as a temp and then on a journey that gave Argentina a World Cup bookended by two Copa America titles the first of which ended their 28-year wait for a major trophy.
The start to the 2026 finals has been good. Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo de Paul covered for Messi. On Tuesday, Messi ran 6.81km. The average distance covered by an Argentina outfield player in that match was between 10.8 to 10.9km, as per FIFA. Argentina’s midfield compensated for Messi’s lack of running by running more. It allowed Messi to choose his moments to light up the evening.
Using players to do the running for a teammate isn’t new. That is how Pep Guardiola got the best out of Sergio Aguero and Didier Deschamps has been doing it to keep Kylian Mbappe where he can cause maximum damage.
De Paul is key to that and he gets help from Mac Allister, Fernandez and Julian Alvarez. De Paul’s pass for the first goal – taking the midfield out of the equation and creating space for Messi – was as good as the one Toni Kroos played to Vinicius Jr in the 2023-24 Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich.
Creating this protective shield around Messi is what Scaloni has been successful in unlike his predecessors. Player for player, Argentina may have had a better roster in 2018 but the team were confused and the campaign chaotic.
“Can’t direct traffic”
Into this stepped Scaloni and Pablo Aimar. He can’t even direct traffic, said Diego Maradona ignoring the fact that Scaloni had earned his coaching badges in Italy. With equanimity, Scaloni accepted that hadn’t coached at this level.
Was it because he knew that there can only be one winner in a war of words with Maradona? We don’t know but we got a glimpse of how self-effacing he was in refusing to be compared with Cesar Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo. Not after Argentina reached Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten streak during which they hadn’t trailed once. Not even after taking Argentina to the final. And not while topping South American qualifiers this time. Yet,Messi said in Doha, this is a management that leaves little to chance.
Along with Roberto Ayala, Walter Samuel and Aimar, Scaloni rebuilt the team. Young players like Emiliano Martinez, De Paul, Cristian Romero, Leandro Parades became an integral part of the squad. They still are. And it was after they decided on a way of playing did Scaloni reach out to Messi and ask him to be part of his plans. Not unlike how Joao Saldanha got Pele back for Brazil for the 1970 finals.
Band of brothers
Defensive solidity was key to Argentina’s run to the last World Cup and then to the final after the shock loss to Saudi Arabia. After the poor start, Scaloni gave Fernandez, Alvarez and Mac Allister game time and that helped get the best out of Messi. In the semi-final, he used four central midfielders to suffocate Croatia in the area they love to dominate. In being flexible, Scaloni was doing what Carlo Ancelotti (his reference point as coach) did with great success at Real Madrid. And what Mario Zagallo did by getting Tostao and Pele to play together. It is the hallmark of a good coach.
As is the ability to forge a band of brothers. “If you get along better with the one beside you, things are bound to be better, especially in tough times,” Scaloni, 48, has said. Nowhere was this more evident than in Doha after the loss to Saudi Arabia. It also explains why Messi thanked the team and staff on Wednesday for helping him deal with “difficult days.”
Against Algeria, Argentina had players seamlessly slipping into different roles with little gap between them to increase passing options.
Through the wobble and the wonderful run in Qatar, Scaloni was the epitome of restraint. He attributes calm of mind to hours of cycling in Spain or Argentina, a hobby he took up after retiring from football on the advice of his friend and 1998 French Open winner Carlos Moya. The sun will rise tomorrow was one his pet lines at press conferences in disaster and triumph.
Defending champions tend to become caricatures of their earlier avatars, Brazil and Didier Deschamps’s France being exceptions to the rule. There will be tougher tests for sure but should Argentina join them, it will be because of Messi and their other Lionel.
PLAY OF THE WEEK
GRAPHICS BY PRIJIT SASHIDHARAN
IN OTHER NEWS
Drone at South Korea training
South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo described the appearance of a drone during a closed World Cup training session as “unfortunate” ahead of the crucial World Cup Group A game against co-hosts Mexico, reports Reuters. Mexican security forces said the device was intercepted over the training ground on Tuesday because it was not registered. “It did not impact us significantly, but while we were preparing for the match, that was the most important timing, so what happened was unfortunate,” Hong told a press conference.
No entry for Ivory Coast striker
Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi, who is being investigated for suspected match-fixing, has not been authorised to travel to Canada for the World Cup match against Germany, the Ivorian soccer federation said on Thursday, reports AP. Ivory Coast face Germany on Saturday in Toronto. The federation said Wahi will not be able to travel with the squad because “the necessary administrative authorizations for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage.” Wahi started in attack for Ivory Coast when they beat Ecuador 1-0 on Monday. He will remain in the USA pending the team’s return, the federation said.
Real Madrid signings
Real Madrid have reached a deal with Ibrahima Konaté to sign the France defender to a four-year contract, the club has said, reports AP. The Spanish powerhouse have also signed Bernardo Silva on a two-year contract and Marc Cucurella for six seasons. While Bernardo joined on a free transfer, Cucurella reportedly cost €55 million.
Bheke for Bagan
Experienced India defender Rahul Bheke was on Thursday unveiled by Mohun Bagan Super Giant as their new recruit on a one-year contract, reports PTI. The 34-year-old, who has played over 50 internationals and also captained the national team, joined after stints with Bengaluru FC, Mumbai City FC and Kerala Blasters.”It is every Indian footballer’s dream to play for Mohun Bagan. I feel extremely proud and excited to have been given the chance to represent the best club in the country,” he said in a statement.
1970 winner dead
Brito, a centre back on Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning team, has died at age 86. The Brazilian Football Confederation announced that Brito died on June 11, reports AP. It did not provide additional details. Brito played 61 games for the national team from 1964-72, including one at the 1966 World Cup, along the way forming a strong defense alongside Wilson Piazza.
New clubs for Amorim, Sarri
AC Milan have hired Rúben Amorim, five months after he was fired by Manchester United – with the Portuguese coach set to face his old club in one of his first matches, says AP. Milan did not announce the length of his contract but Italian media reports he has signed a three-year deal, worth €3.5 million a season plus bonuses. Atalanta have hired Maurizio Sarri in what will be the club’s third managerial change in the space of 12 months. Atalanta did not give details of Sarri’s contract but Italian media reports the former Chelsea coach has penned a three-year deal.
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ICONIC MOMENT
“More than history being made”
The headline was Curacao winger Kenji Gorre’s reaction to Livano Comanencia’s goal against Germany. "The goal was absolutely fantastic for all of us, for the nation as well," said Gorré. "It's more history being made. The first goal ever scored on the world stage, it's just phenomenal, and we're all grateful that we were here to experience it (with) all the people in the stadium." That Curacao, the smallest nation in terms of population to play the finals, lost 1-7 will matter less than what the 22-year-old who plays in Switzerland achieved against the four-time world champions.
THEY SAID IT
That’s all for this week. As always, I look forward to your feedback. You can either write to me at dhiman@htlive.com, or reply to this mail.